Recently, I wrote a travel feature of my family vacation on a Circle Life tour in my feature reporting class. The tour is a boat ride of the various landmarks in New York City. When I looked on my phone for photos to put in my article, I was shocked to find how little photos I took. If you were to look at the pictures I took, Manhattan only has the statue and the Colgate Clock for landmarks. I didn’t even take a selfie. I was so mad at myself for not taking more pictures of my family’s vacation.Â
I remember telling my mother that I wanted to live in the moment and not be on my phone. How I regret those words. There were so many landmarks I saw, but I don’t have any photos to share. This got me thinking about how taking pictures or videos during special events is seen as a form of phone addiction.
Why did taking pictures get such a negative reputation? Why do we assume the pictures we take are only for social media? I remember my high school gym teacher going on a five-minute rant about a girl spending 20 minutes taking a photo for her social media followers. Her rant ended with her talking about how it’s important to live in the present. I don’t see the harm in that. How did she know that the picture was for social media?
Whenever I look at old photos, memories and emotions of that experience come back to me. I have a selfie of me and my mother at my high school graduation. My mother and I had a big smile on our faces. I remember how happy my family was when I walked on that stage.
Taking pictures is a great way of freezing memories. I have pictures of my late grandmother, old friends and food I’ve enjoyed. Sometimes I leave an event and wish I’ve taken more pictures. Don’t let anybody tell you how to enjoy an event. If you want to take a video or photo of your concert, you should be able to do so without judgment.Â